criss cross homemade applesauce

One of my best friends brought me a “sick day” care package full of saltine crackers, Redbox movies and cinnamon applesauce when I caught what the rest of the state of Texas seemed to have all season long. I forgot how much I love applesauce, so when I ran out of my six-pack I decided to try it on my own. A simple enough recipe that allows you to experiment with different flavors to show off your creative core.

Cinnamon Applesauce

2 c chopped apples (peeling optional)

1/4 c water

1 lemon half

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1 vanilla bean

2 cinnamon sticks

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

Pinch of salt

1. Over medium high heat, in a large saucepan, combine apples, water, juice of lemon, vinegar, vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks. Bring to boil then simmer for 10-12 minutes until apples are tender. Remove from the heat discard vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks.

2. Mash apples. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.

Recipe modified from Chocolate Moosey.

pick a pepper

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When mother nature gives you peppers, make pasta.

The overwhelming harvest of cayenne peppers in my garden, not only inspired me to be a good neighbor and hand out sacks of salsa-ready peppers, but also to make one of my favorite pasta dishes. Throughout the year, I will dry the excess peppers to use as a dry ingredient I muddle up for date night dishes or spicy desserts. Tonight, I sliced, deseeded and washed the peppers before sautéing with garlic, sweet bulb onions and mushrooms to make a simple 20-minute dish that satisfied my spicy, Texas taste and cleaned out my fridge, too.

Parmesan Pepper Pasta

1 lb. spaghetti, cooked and drained

1/4 c cayenne pepper, sliced and deseeded

1/2 c baby bella mushrooms, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 sweet bulb onion, chopped

1/4 c & 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1/2 c fresh parmesan, grated

Salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

1. In a medium-high heat pan, sauté garlic and onions with 2 Tbsp. of  EVOO until tender with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add peppers and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.

2. Add pasta directly to saucepan to mix peppers and mushrooms. Coat with leftover EVOO and serve in bowl. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garnish with minced basil, if desired.

peas, pork and peppers

Peas, pork, peppers. Peas, pork, peppers, Peas, pork, peppers. This recipe is a lot easier to cook than say three times fast. One of my favorite meals to cook with Trey is my Mom’s Green Chile Pork and Hominy dish. Wonderful for winter nights or to throw in a casserole dish after a long day. We cooked my mom’s prized pork dish this week, but had a few slices of pork as lonely leftovers from the hominy. Not wanting to make an extra trip to the store, we looked in our cupboard for a few extra ingredients to clear off the tupperware dish from the fridge shelf. A can of black-eyed peas and a walk in the garden gave us another reason to love the protein, pork.

Peas, Pork and Peppers Leftover Hash

1 lb. pork tenderloin, cooked and cubed

1 can black-eyed peas, drained

1/3 c cayenne peppers, sliced and deseeded

2 Tbsp. EVOO

1 garlic clove, minced

1 sweet bulb onion, chopped

Salt for taste

Pepper for taste

1. Over medium-high heat, sauté garlic and onions in EVOO until tender. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add peppers and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

2. Add pork and black-eyed peas. Cover and cook for 13-15 minutes.